The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-02-09
SUGAR MADE FROM COAL TAR.
Po..Lbls Resul.. q ]. Dlseorery aIaae !


Possible Results OF Discovery Made In
Gormany-yarions Authorizations.
The scientific world is Just now inter-
ested in recent discovery, by which coal
tar is made into sugar. The enterprise
originated in Germany, but is attracting
general attention in this country. DR.. T.
G. Minor, who keeps posted ON everything,
was called upon to give some facts on coal
tar sugar.
s.Tlie new substitute for sugar., re-
marked DIR. Minor, .'is called saccharine,
and Is really q product of coal tar. 1t
will ada an additional value 10 the refuse
of gas works. Its discoverer was Fohl-
berg, who formerly lived in the east, but
resides Mt the present time, / think, in
Hamburg"
HAS tie new substance been intro
duced to commerce:"
mot to any large extent, owing to its
cost, for it is worth about s'f2 per pound.
Yet one pound of saccharine will ssveeten
10000 pounds of water.
..How is it prepared for the sugar mar
ket!''
.sThe preparation used IN Europe is am
admixtiIre of glucose and dextrin. One
pound of saccharine will convert 1000
pounds of glucose into the very best grade
of ordinary table sugar; that is, it wiilre-
seInble table sugar as regards sweetness,
without the nutritious qualities of the real
article"
ssYou don't mean to say that there is
no nutrition In saccharine, doctor?''
Eyes; it has little or no nutritious prop
erty, and is merely an adulterant.
'.Is it likely that it viii be ever used on
large scale as am adulterant in the
United States?'
"Of course, - replied DIR. Minor, 'swhen
the process of making the saccliarinc is
cIieapened. / would be willing to pre-
dict that every large gas works IN the
country will be selling saccharine as
refuse principle IN the next twenty years,
and that there will be enough profit in the
business to make illuminating gas for
nothing; in other words, the present gas
works will be a saccharine manufacturing
establishment, while the refuse will be IL
Illuminating gas. Aniline colors and am
monia salts will be made under the same
roof as the coal tar from which the sac
charine is devolved. -
''What is the process of making sac
charine, doctor?''
"That question can be answered better
by chemist, :" said DIR. Minor. 1T is
usual, however, to take what is called the
stance with phosphorus pentachlorile; it
is the cost of this other article that rem
tlers the manufacture of saccharine SO cx-
pcnsive. Yet, even as expensive as it is,
a quality of sugar can now be lnanufac-
tured even cheaper than New Orleans
cane sugar"
what will be the result of this new
adulterant?''
.It will cheaper the cost of sweetening
materials in groceries and candies and
will enhance the value of real cane sugar,
just as the price of pure butter has been
increased by the vile adHlteration, olco-
margarine. The working people, who
now pay tax on every pound of sugar
they consume, can enjoy glucose, the
product of corn, adulterated with sacclla-
rinc, which has no nutritious qualities.
Pure butter, pure sugar and pure milk
will always cost a large price and only
he within reach of the wealthy. Why,
even modern Chicago lard is now said to
be largely made from cotton seed oil.
This is the age of adulteration. and about
the only pure article left to the mass of
humanity are plain bread and water"
''How about coffee and tea. doctor?'
"Coffee in the berry, unbrowned and
umground, can not he initiated, but three
fourths of the ground coffees on the mar
ket are adulterated, AS for tea, Ceylon
is now the great producing country for
cheap teas, which are pallned off i'll
Europe for fine Chinese goods. Ceylon
teas lack much of the theme or active
principle of tea that is found in the genu-
inc Hong Kong chops. Cincinnati En-
uIIirnr